Francis X. Ford, Brooklyn resident, Maryknoll Bishop and a man of great personal courage, was martyred in China in 1952. One of the attempts to memorialize his fine example to youth, was the Brooklyn Diocese's dedication of our school in 1962, to his memory.

In 1976, a private Board of Trustees assumed stewardship of the school, renamed it Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School and instituted a number of changes. One of the most notable was the change from an all boys school to an institution committed to co-education. It was our belief that in an atmosphere of societal turmoil, there was a need for a value-ladened education for the young men and women of tomorrow.

For nearly fifty years, Bishop Ford High School, accredited by the Regents of the State of New York and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools has provided a quality education for thousands of Brooklyn students.

THE SCHOOL

The Chinese mission of Francis X. Ford is strikingly reflected in the beautiful design of the school. The cross which surmounts the pagoda on our roof is a landmark visible for miles. Red and Black, the colors symbolic of the Chinese artistic tradition and the Maryknoll Fathers, permeate our school. These colors in the chapel, the main lobby, the auditorium, throughout the classrooms, are constant reminders of Bishop Ford and his contributions and good works.

Our building, located in the Park Slope area at 500 19th Street, occupies the site of the old Brooklyn trolley barns, on which, during the Civil War, stood a Federal prison. This location is one of the safest and most accessible in all of Brooklyn. The F train, the B67, B68, and B69 buses all stop within a few blocks of the school.